Poly Optimist - May

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The Poly Optimistmay 2015Vol. XCXVIII, No. 18 Serving the Poly Community Since 1913

John H. Francis Polytechnic High SchoolSpecial Senior Edition

The art of conversation is a cru-cial requirement for students apply-ing for jobs ,colleges or scholarship. At some point, students will have to put their smart phone down and demonstrate their own smartness in a real conversation. Texting by teens has clearly become their primary mode of communication.

Before the proliferation of smart-phones students would actually have to tell their peers to meet up at some place to hang or to eat. Today, it’s a text saying “meet me at the poly-gon.” According to a recent study conducted by PewResearchCenter, teenagers within the age of 14-17 typically send and receive 60 text messages a day. Approximately 1800 messages per month. Clearly the amount of face-to-face communica-tion continues to dwindle as smart phones become “smarter.”

Students appear to text continu-ously, in class, out of class, and in between bites of that LAUSD lunch. Poly student Jose Esqueda states, “I usually text my friends everyday and usually end up sending around 30 or 40 messages per day.” Anna Rodriguez, another student here at Poly, says she usually sends 50 mes-sages per day.

Some students prefer to talk rather than text. Poly student Giselle Rodriguez states, “With texting you don't know when the other person will see your message, or even receive it. You get a direct response from someone in person.”

Social media plays a role in students' lives as well. Popular sites including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Vine are re-ported to be visited by students here at Poly. Rodriguez states, “Some days I go to social media a lot and other days I don't even look at social media. It's in-between.”

Some teenagers use their social device while driving on a daily basis, endangering everyone. A survey conducted by AT&T showed that 14 percent of drivers between the age of 16 and 65 use Twitter on a daily basis, and 30 percent of those users say they frequently go on Twitter while driving.

“Students shouldn't really text and drive,” states Poly student Jose Esqueda. Esqueda has personal experience regarding people who text and drive. “I've seen what texting and driving does to people as I worked with the fire department. Most of the car accidents resulted because of texting,” states Esqueda, “It changes your perspective on life.”

To Text, or to Talk, That is the Question

By Bryan RochaStaff Writer

Modern teenagers texting epidemic

Parrots Soar to Nests of the Elite

Poly senior Cesar Quinones will be leaving to one of most prestigious colleges Carnegie Mellon, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Quinones' primary discovery of Carnegie Mellon origi-nates from his friend Jesus Alvarez. “He always wore a Carnegie Mellon shirt, and that's what got me interested in Carnegie Mellon,” states Quinones, “I was going to apply to an engineering school and I looked up Carnegie Mel-lon.” Quinones wanted to apply to a school for engineering and decided that Carnegie Mellon would be a great choice as at the time it was ranked 4th in engineering.

Aside from Carnegie Mellon, Quinones was accepted to CSU Northridge, Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, and UC Riverside. However, he was wait-listed to UC San Diego and University of Chicago which made him nervous. “I got wait-listed to UC San Diego,” said Quinones,” I got that before I got all the privates so that discouraged me because if I got wait-listed for a UC in engineering and I applied to all these other privates for en-gineering, maybe I wasn't able to get into the other privates because privates are harder to get into to.”

He chose Carnegie Mellon as it is a private college that has a competitive program in the department of engineering.

Quinones was surprised when he got the acceptance letter.

Carnegie Calling

Not many people have the privilege to say that they got into a prestigious Ivy League University.

However, Poly’s very own Hannah Almonte can.Almonte received her acceptance letter from Yale Uni-

versity in New Haven, Connecticut on Ivy day.Almonte’s bulldog days begin in August 2015. Hannah has attended Poly all four years of her high

school career. She has participated in ACADECA as well as co-

founding the Science Bowl at Poly. Other extracurriculars included tennis.

Almonte joined Poly’s Magnet Program her junior year.“I want to do something like a STEM major. Mainly

Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics,” stated Almonte.Almonte decided to pursue a major in the sciences be-

cause of her parents. “My mom is a political science major and my dad a mechanical engineer, so I was exposed to completely different fields,” stated Almonte.

Almonte wants to do science because she wants to expe-rience something different.

“I really like the brain and I feel like biochem would be another lens into the brain. With biochem we can find out what chemicals are firing off when one is feeling a certain emotion.”

Almonte will also pursue a second major in the humani-ties.

“I want to also

Yes to Yale Envoy to Emory By Bryan Rocha

Staff WriterBy Juan GarciaStaff Writer

Poly senior Huri Sanchez will be leaving to Atlanta, Georgia in the fall of 2015 to attend Emory University, one of America’s prestigious private colleges.

Sanchez was also accepted to University of Virginia, University of California (UC) Berkeley, UC Los An-geles, and UC Santa Barbara but chose his “reach school” Emory for their business department and prestigious reputation.

His goal in having a business major is to land in a career with a respectable leadership position, and have lucrative responsibilities in the business world.

Sanchez’s family believes he has high potential and has pushed him

By Kate MartinezStaff Writer

Magnet Senior Alejandro Contreras has officially joined Johns Hopkins University’s Class of 2019 to pursue a major in Molecular biology. He will join Poly magnet alumni Luis Curiel, Jihae Snyder, and Guillermo Contreras--current students at Hopkins.

With an acceptance rate of only 15%, Johns Hopkins University is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland and ranked 6th in Medical Schools in the world. Some of Hopkins’ notable alumni include Rachel Carson, a marine biologist best known for her advancement in the environmental movement and author of “Silent Spring,” and Woodrow Wilson, the 28th United States President.

Throughout his four years at Poly, Contreras took a total of eight AP courses, including AP Biology, European History, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, Calculus, and Physics. He was on the of Track & Field team, Cross Country, and Students Run LA (SRLA). Contreras was a regular participant in the French and Me-dieval Literature seminars ran by Magnet English teacher, Mischa Martin. “I was never academically motivated in middle school, but when I came here to Poly, the teachers

encouraged and motivated me greatly,” said Contreras.

In the sum-mer of his junior year, Contreras participated in the Samuels Fam-ily Latino and African American High School

Joining Johns HopkinsBy Jocelyn GarciaStaff Writer

Magnet Senior Oscar Contreras committed to attend the University of Pennsylvania for the fall of 2015. Contreras will double major in either Chemistry and Economics or Cellular Biology and Economics. His goals at UPenn are to earn a four year degree and make connections along with new friendships, while also exploring Pennsylvania for the first time.

Contreras has been in Poly’s Magnet Program for four years and has also been involved in activities such as Track, Tennis, and Robotics. Contreras chose to become a part of Poly’s Magnet because he was in the Math and Science Magnet program at Byrd Middle School. Contreras has taken 11 AP courses throughout High School along with other college classes. He has been accepted to UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Merced, Boston Col-lege, and finally the University of Pennsylvania. Magnet AP Chemistry teacher, Ramon Gomez shared his experi-ence with Oscar in the Robotics club and said, “Whenever there was a problem in Robotics, Oscar was always willing to come up with solutions. Even though he’s shy, he was always talking to people in order to come up with solu-tions. Oscar is overall a very wise and smart person,” said

Gomez.When the

Optimist asked Contreras why he chose to commit to UPenn, he said, “I didn’t know much about it, but when they asked me to write a few extra required essays, I researched the

Parrot in PennsylvaniaBy Jacquelyne GarciaStaff Writer

Poly Optimist writer and Poly Se-nior, Emily Pintor, has joined Boston University’s class of 2019. Pintor has been admitted into Boston Univer-sity’s College of General Studies (CGS) beginning in April of 2016.

Boston is a leading private research institution with two primary campuses within the city of Boston and programs around the world. Boston’s College of General Studies is a liberal arts focused section of the University.

Pintor will be participating in Bos-ton’s CGS program which is a study abroad program in London, England.

“I’m extremely excited to be going to London “said Pintor “it’s always been a dream of mine to go there.

The CGS program is a London

Boston BoundBy Josh PenadoStaff Writer

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Check out Seniors DestinationsMAPS Pages 5 & 6

Trending in Entertainment for the class of 2015

See Emily Pintor Column page 9

Virtual tour Provided By Dennis Madrigal

double major with economics.” stated Almonte.

The reason Almonte wants to double major is because she wants a well-rounded undergraduate experience so she can have more options when she goes to graduate school.

In the summer of her junior year, Almonte attended the Summer Science Program at UC Santa Barbara.

“I loved it,” exclaimed Almonte. “The program was super challenging because I went there not having done physics or calculus or programming or astronomy,

but the community was so amazing! I worked with geniuses that are just all so interesting and well rounded and they were all so supportive. It's a great intel-lectual environment. I definitely recom-mend it to others,” explained Almonte.

The summer science program is a program that is held every year. The program is sponsored by a number of universities across the country and each is held at a different university.

Almonte’s senior year at Poly proved particularly difficult on a personal level.

In order to finish at Poly’s magnet she had to choose between moving with her

family to Anaheim in Orange County or staying with a friend during the week.

“It was stressful in the beginning. I think anything new always is.

But you learn to deal with it and start treasuring the positive aspects of the experience,” explained Almonte. She had to stay with a friend during the week and went home for the weekend.

“I moved back recently since there are only a couple of months left and I have to spend time with my family,” stated Almonte.

Almonte was also accepted into all the UC’s she applied to: UC Berke-ley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and Santa Barbara.

She was also accepted into a private liberal arts school Bowdin University. Almonte decided to choose Yale because she felt it was a better fit for her.

“I really found myself at Yale,”said Almonte.

“I know that at any of the other col-leges I would have received a good education and have the chance to meet great new people, but when I visited Yale I really saw myself there; thriving as a person,” explained Almonte.

Almonte explained that the teachers at Poly provided her with the extra support to succeed as a student.

“I love the teachers at Poly,” said Almonte.

“I never once felt the pressure to pick a certain path just because it was something they expected or anything,” said Almonte.

“I felt that they all genuinely cared about what was going to make me happy, and they did everything they could to help me get there. I'm very grateful. It's so awesome to have a strong support sys-tem at home and find that same thing at school. I'm truly blessed,” said Almonte.

The Poly Optimistmay 2015 polyhigh.org/opt.jsp

OPINION2

EDITORIAL

John H. Francis Polytechnic High School12431 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA, 91352

http://polyhigh.org

Letters To The EditorLetters to the Editor must be typed or printed in ink and include the

writer’s signature. The OPTIMIST reserves the right to edit submissions. Send letters to Rm.14 or Ms.Matlen’s box.

Editorial PolicyThe OPTIMIST is the voice of the Poly community, and follows the

Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists. Editorials are the opinions of the staff.

Photo EditorVictor Garcia

Editor-In-Chief Joshua Penado

Layout EditorMichael Manzano

Optimist Advisor Ethel Matlen

the OPTImIsT Writers

Page EditorsKate Martinez

CartoonistJezerelle Guevarra

Vanessa AquinoJacquelyne Garcia

Jocelyn GarciaJuan Garcia

Michael Manzano

Kate MartinezBryan Rocha

Joshua PenadoEmily Pintor

Optimist BlogPolyoptimist.edublogs.org

EDITORIAL

The Poly Optimist isn’t an easy grade. You have to dedicate your own time, which many students tend to avoid. I don’t regret the time I spent at Poly or with the Optimist I can honestly say that I am a much different person leaving Poly than I was entering. The Optimist not only taught me about journalistic writing, but through the Optimist I was able to discover my own views about the world. My time as the Editor was my craziest year yet. From AP classes to editing stories, writing stories, and designing the school paper my senior year has been one big project with the due date being on June 4th. The Optimist taught me how to manage workloads and complete assignments on a deadline which I think every student would benefit from by joining. I’m not the only

one either; I’ll miss those lucky few who also joined the Optimist’s ranks. The saddest part about graduation would be the uncertainty of when you’ll ever see any of those familiar faces from school again. Everyone takes their own path after graduation; our life is now our own responsibility to mold. My last words of advice would be: even if your dream won’t make you rich or world famous that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing it. Instead of living according to the standards of another, everyone should work to achieve their own dream since we are the only ones in control of our own lives.

Joshua Alexander Penado

One Big ProjectDumb Coach Mistake. Coaches wanted to win at all

cost, now let him pay the price. Shady coach! what else has he done that has not come into the light?

Jorge Luna (alumni)

Letters to the Editors

Very unfortunate situation for the student! Does not seem like anyone had or has the students back. It would only be fair to hear his side of the story too.

Silvia Alba

Just Following Coach’s Orders

Thoughts on “Shades of Truth” Editorial

I think Breakfast in the classroom for 1st period is a good idea. Since many students don’t eat at home, like the article says, it will give them a chance to eat healthy food. If you don’t like all the food they give out like me, at least you can eat an apple. Javier Rios stated “I think students may be taking advantage of the situation I’ve had a

few students show up late.” We are supposed to go to class at 8:05 AM and now with breakfast in classes the time that teachers start their class is around 8:18. I understand that students shouldn’t come in late but if they come in a little late while people are still eating their breakfast, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Edwin Soto

Cesar Chavez a 10th grader that passed away from a tragic accident, it’s sad to hear that some-one from our high school passed away. The saddest part is finding out he was only fifteen years old. I saw flowers on the sidewalk next to where he slammed his head. I imagined how it happened when I was going up the street. Cesar could’ve survived if he had a helmet. He could have

had children and experience many things, now he can’t because he didn’t have a helmet on. I didn’t know Cesar but I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about him a lot because of that street. Now every time I go up that street I’m going to run faster and push harder for him because it’s very messed up he had to die at an early age.

Agustin Mendez

The guy in the story is an acquaintance of mine. I’ve known him for years . I met him on the 2013 track and field team here at Poly. He was a pretty fast runner. It is amazing to hear that now he is getting ready to attend a university and pursue his career! It is incredible to believe that he used a huge soccer skill to get a schol-arship for football. That is unexpected, but looking at his talent I know that he has the ambition to work

hard and have an amazing career. He appears to come from a low income and low achieving community. However, his family looks strong and I believe that Rudolfo is strong enough to overcome his obstacles to succeed. I did not know why he was practicing so much. Now all his practice has paid off. I really hope that things go well with Rudolfo at Heidelberg University.

Luis Jimenez

Touchdown in Ohio thoughts

Wear a Helmet!

Breakfast in the Classroom

In Aprils edition Misis Still a Work in Prog-ress” the statement regarding UTLA should include [chapter chair Larry Carstens with vice chapter chair Julia Keiper and others who help negotiate pay for teachers to com-plete all endorcements.]

Correction

[Yale page 1]

Check us out Online.tinyurl.com/polyoptimist

Poly band director, studio vet-eran, and music prodigy Stephen Isaacs will leave the position of band director this spring and will return to graduate school to pursue another Masters degree in music.

Isaacs began studying music at the age of 10 on the string bass, which he later learned how to play electri-cally. He attended Beverly Hills High School where he began marching band and became a student leader as a junior.

After marching with the Beverly Hills High School marching band, Isaacs played with the San Gabriel Symphony and the Tujunga Sympho-ny for years. He continued his music education at Valley College, Santa Monica College, and then at the Uni-versity of Southern California.

His mother was a musician and played with an all girl band in the 40’s. “My mother was supportive about my career in music. My father however, believed the life of a musi-cian was not the best to pursue. He told me ‘you can be anything you want to be in life, but not a musi-cian,’” shared Isaacs.

Isaacs was a part of the march-ing band at USC from 1967 to 1969 where he first played his favorite instrument, the sousaphone, better known as the tuba. “I played tuba at the USC vs. UCLA football game in 1967 where USC won,” said Isaacs.

During his time at SC, Isaacs was a part of a garage band where in 1966, he opened up at Sunset Studios for Janice Joplin, one of the most famous solo artists of the 1960’s, the lead singer of “Big Brother and the Hold-ing Company.”

After marching with the SC band, Isaacs taught the band from 1972 to 1976 and later left in the 70’s to work in the studios. He worked in the stu-dios for 20 years full time, including FOX, Paramount Studios, Columbia, and MGM Studios as a sound effect and music editor. During his time at the studios, Isaacs was a part of the jazz band named the “Rhythm Kings,” who he played with for five years.

His time working in the studios de-layed his SC graduation by 26 years. Isaacs returned to SC in 1996, where he achieved his music degree and teaching credential in 2001. Shortly after receiving his teaching creden-tial, Isaacs became the band director of Le Conte Middle School’s 75 piece orchestra.

Isaacs has been the director of the Poly band for 14 years. As band director he is in charge of running the marching band and concert band, selecting each year’s fieldshow and concert music, selecting drum majors and section leaders, as well as assur-ing the band is prepared to play at all school events. The biggest band he directed during his time at Poly was a 149 member marching band. “I’m the only teacher in this school that would not mind having 140-200 students. It’s just as easy to teach 45 people as it is to teach 145. A large group is why we have section leaders,” said Isaacs.

During his time as director, Isaacs

spearheaded fundraisers to fund the costs of the band, including donating his mother’s Jaguar. “It was sitting in the garage and we needed money. We earned $18,000 and took the band to a music festival,” said Isaacs. That year the band earned enough money to travel to Hawaii, but did not.

As he concludes his legacy at Poly, many of his past and current students reminisced about their time with Isaa-cs. 2012 Poly Band Drum Major Jose Reyes shared, “he’s one of the most inspirational teachers I had at Poly. He’s a person full of knowledge and loves helping anyone who is in need. I wouldn’t be on the path to obtaining a Bachelors in Music, if it weren’t for his help.” 2012 Drum Captain Andrew Rodriguez, shared “he’s pushed me in areas I really needed to be pushed and it’s something that I continue to do with myself now.”

Isaacs will leave the Poly band under the instruction of new director, Nicole Lantello-Morienga.

The Poly Optimist has been awarded the first place position in the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) competition consisting of 2,500 schools varying from High schools, colleges and Universities.

Each school newspaper is scored on a point system and is awarded a first, second, or third place based on their classification. A written critique is also included with the awarded certificate with suggestions for improvements. The Optimist scored 945 out of a possible 1000.

The adjudicators are professional journalism professors from multiple colleges and universities. The adjudicators are meant to “ensure that the critiques and suggestions provided are sensitive to school budgetary limitations and scholastic printing problems,” said Dr. Richard Plass, Chairman of the judging committee.

“The Poly Optimist has always been one of our best competitors,” said Plass “I look forward to reviewing the Optimist next year.”

The ASPA publishes all of its winners in its booklet, THE AMERICAN SCHOLASTIC JOURNALIST.

3The Poly Optimist may 2015polyhigh.org/opt.jsp

CAmPUsOptimist Achieves Award from ASPANinth consecutive First Place National Award for journalistic excellence goes to Poly’s student newspaper

Optimist staff with award. Join this winning team. Photo by Victor Garcia

Take a Little Piece of Poly’s HeartLong time band leader plays last note

Dear Class of 2015,

Congratulations for all you have achieved. Regardless of whether you are moving on to a job, community college or university, you should be proud of yourselves. High School is not just about your academic development but also your social-emotional development and your maturity.

My recommendation is to reflect on your personal growth up to this point in your lives and consider the ways in which you can best continue your development as young men and women.

My challenge for you is to take advantage of every opportunity you have, be true to yourself, and continue to dream big. One thing is guaranteed; your path won’t be easy. However with persistence, focus, and hard work, I promise you will be amazed at what you can do.

When I reflect on the year that just passed and on the last four that you spent with us at Poly, I think about your contributions and legacy. This year 42% of our seniors will continue their education at a 4 year university, the high-est in our history. Another 44% will continue studying at community college for a total of 86% continuing their education. For these students and those who have decided to pursue another pathway, I urge you all to be very inten-tional about your continued growth and learning whether in school or out of school. I can tell you without a doubt that I learned more in my 20s than in my teens and have learned even more in my 30s and now in my 40s. Life is a journey enriched by your learning and experience.

It’s been observed by Ms. Keiper, one of your class sponsors, that the Class of 2015 goes about their business with quiet diligence, honor, and integrity. I couldn’t agree more. She added, and I am quite aware, that you have exceeded all previous classes with submission of college applications, FASA applications, and AP participation. Just know your effort will have to be even more steadfast as you move on to the next step in your lives. Continue to challenge yourselves and engage in life with passion and purity of heart. Be leaders and model Poly’s values as critical thinkers, conscientious members of society, ef-fective communicators, and lifelong learners. I’m proud of your accomplishments, am excited for your future, and anticipate your profound contributions to the world as Poly alumni.

You will remain in our hearts and minds forever. Parrots for Life! Principal Ari Bennett

By Joshua PenadoStaff Writer

By Jocelyn GarciaStaff Writer

Retiring band instructor Steven Isaacs Photo by Victor Garcia

based program within the Boston University campus in London. Pintor will be studying in London for two months.

Boston University is known world-wide for its historical significance as it was one of the first Universities in the country to accept different races. Graduates include Martin Luther King Jr., Julianne Moore and Geena Davis.

“The school and the city are pretty historical so being ac-cepted there is amazing” said Pintor “it’s a very prestigious school not just nation-wide but also world-wide because of the history behind it.”

“My biggest influence here at poly that drove me to suc-ceed was definitely the Optimist because it instilled the sense of everyday deadlines and how to write both journalistically and professionally,” said Pintor.

Pintor will be receiving about 58 thousand dollars which still leaves about 5 thousand dollars for tuition. “Five thousand out of pocket is bad but not as bad as what other people will be paying,” said Pintor “A lot of people are afraid about paying for college but as long as you try hard enough you can pay it off.”

“No one should ever give up on their dream,” said Pintor “there is always a way to achieve your goals as long as you try.”

[Boston page 1]

College acceptances are hard earned and acceptances to prestigious universities, even harder.

Poly senior Adrian Ramos has

the honor of being accepted to the prestigious University of Notre Dame in Indiana as well as Pepperdine University in California.

Notre Dame is a highly sought after school, with an acceptance rate of 21%.

Ramos is the first comprehensive student to be accepted to Notre Dame and Pepperdine.

Ramos was also accepted to San Diego State, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz.

Ramos found himself in the tough situation of choosing between staying close to home or moving far away and acquiring a heavy sum of debt.

Ramos ultimately chose to attend UC Santa Cruz in the fall

Ramos has attended Poly all four years of his high school career.

His extra curricular activities included strong safety for the Poly Football team, Math tutor for middle school students and musician for his

church choir. Ramos will pursue a major in Ma-

rine Biology, which also influenced his decision in choosing UC Santa Cruz.

“I’ve always had an interest in the ocean,” explained Ramos. “A large proportion of all life on Earth exists in the ocean, and many species haven’t been yet discovered and it garbs my attention. It is the final frontier and I want explore it.”

Another reason why Ramos decided to choose UC Santa Cruz is money.

“Pepperdine only offered me an estimated 29,000, leaving me with a net cost of 40,000, so Pepperdine was completely out of the question,” explained Ramos.

Notre Dame would also have left Ramos with a large debt as well as a huge distance between his family.

“Santa Cruz offered to pay about 85 percent of my tuition, which was

the deciding factor in choosing Santa Cruz,” stated Ramos

Ramos shared with the Optimist what he expects to gain from college.

“I hope to grow as a person, build character and acquire the best educa-tion possible.”

Ramos explained that he is more excited for college then scared.

“The new environment that I will be exposed to, from the beautiful ocean views to the hiking trails of Santa Cruz’s wood forests is some-thing that I’m really looking forward to,” stated Ramos.

Social Studies Department Chair, Elva Madrigal gave a few words on Ramos

“Adrian is an exceptional student and uses his challenges to give him strength,” stated Madrigal. “ I could not be more proud and I’m confident that he will continue to strive for success into his undergraduate and graduate career.”

“The first person to see it was my grandma,” states Quinones, “She came in the living room and said that there was a huge packet for me. It was a big fat acceptance letter from Carnegie Mellon, and I read it and I got in.”

For Carnegie Mellon, Quinones received $64,000 in Gift Aid. His entire tuition, which is $51,000, is being paid for him. The cost of at-tendances is $67,000, and Quinones is being given $66,000. The cost of living are also being paid for him. Quinones plans to pay $3,000 in loans.

Academics were a major contri-bution to his acceptance. Quinones' has been part of the magnet program since 9th grade and feels that there were many rigorous courses. Quinones took AP Physics B and C taught by James Schwagle and re-cently took the AP Physics C exam.

“He has wide ranges of inter-ests and wide interests of expertise that you don't see very often,” said Schwagle, “It becomes apparent in the first couple of minutes of a conversation with him.”

Without the help of Mr. Gomez and Ms. Martin for his letters of recommendation, Quinones feels that he wouldn't have been accepted to Carnegie Mellon and thanks them for their help.

“I feel pretty confident,” said Qui-nones, “I think there's 400 people in the mechanical engineering depart-ment, so it's going to be fun.”


CAmPUs4

school and the more research I did, the more I liked it.” When asked how he felt about being far away from home for college, Contreras said, “I’ve never been far away from home. My only experience was when I did the one week program called E2 at MIT. I honestly prefer to stay close to home, but I’m choos-ing to attend UPenn because of the financial aid the school is offering me and because of the prestige of the school.”

The University of Pennsylvania is offering Contreras a total of $64,150 per year for four years.

Contreras is number four of six children. His parents have always been very supportive and are excited about his college decision. “They’ve always told me to do whatever I wanted to do. My mom is a bit sad though,” said Contreras. When asked what he liked most about UPenn, Contreras said, “I really like the Cel-lular Bio program because it gives me an opportunity to study abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scot-land where my AP Biology teacher, Mr. Alonso, graduated from. I also really like how students at UPenn are allowed to work in the several museums they have on campus.”

Contreras believes he is going to encounter several different types of people at UPenn. He said, “I feel like I’m going to meet weird and elite people. I might not fit in, but I’m hoping I’ll find more Hispanics on campus.” When asked where he sees himself in the far future, Contreras answered, “Hopefully with a job!”

Internship Program (LA-HIP), a 6-week research internship with the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, where he had the opportunity to perform biomedical experiments in a research lab. Contreras also served over 100 hours of volunteer work at Poly’s freshman center, Byrd Middle School, and Fernangeles Recreation Center, and was a runner-up for the Warren Christopher Scholarship in the tenth grade.

In addition to Hopkins, Contreras was accepted to the University of California San Diego, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and Boston Univer-sity. Besides the personal preference of attending school in the East Coast, Contreras chose Hopkins based on its renowned reputation. “Past stories of past seniors who applied to Hop-kins and described their experience influenced my decision to apply. However, my visit for three days at the school influenced my decision in choosing to attend. It was the most appealing school both visually and academically,” said Contreras.

Contreras is seeking to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiol-ogy and will focus on research in virology. “Taking college classes in Microbio allowed me to really enjoy the subject and decide to pursue it as a major,” said Contreras. “Biology was my favorite subject through out high school and I really got to enjoy it more during my summer pro-gram.” Contreras’ long-term goal is to become a biomedical researcher at a hospital or university.

When the Optimist asked Con-treras how his parents responded to his acceptance into Hopkins, he said “They’re really proud. At first they were worried about me going so far. But, my older brothers did it, so they know I can do it too.”

Hopkins is paying most of Contre-ras’ tuition leaving him to only pay $8,000/year to attend.

[U-Penn page 1]

Carnegie

[Hopkins page 1]

First Poly Student Accepted to Notre Dame

Magnet Senior Kristle Garcia will attend UC Berkeley in the fall of 2015. Garcia will major in Molecular and Cellular Biology and will gladly transition from a Poly Parrot to a Cal Bear.

Garcia has been in Poly’s Magnet for four years and has also been involved in several activities includ-ing Basketball, Robotics, Interact, and Science Bowl. When asked why Garcia decided to become a part of Poly’s Magnet program, Garcia said, “My cousins were in Magnet and they told me it was a really good program. Plus, I was a part of Byrd Middle School’s Math and Science Magnet.”

Throughout High School, Garcia has taken 8 AP courses and 4 col-lege classes which have influenced her to pursue a career in Science. Garcia shared, “Since Kindergarten, I’ve always tried to be at the top of my class. It’s just how I’ve always

been.” Garcia was accepted to UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona, and UC Berkeley. When asked why Garcia chose to attend UC Berkeley, she said, “I was torn when deciding between UC Berkeley and UCLA. But when I visited Berkeley, I was able to picture myself walking around that school more than the other schools.” What Garcia likes most about Berkeley is the environment of the school. “I love the atmosphere. And Berkeley’s academics are very inspiring. I’m sure this school can help me achieve” said Garcia. UC Berkeley is offering Garcia $20,000 a year for four years.

Garcia is the eldest of two chil-dren. She has a younger brother who is currently a junior in Poly’s Mag-net. When asked how her parents felt about her college decision, Garcia said, “My dad personally wants me to stay close to home, but both of my parents have always been supportive of my academics.” Garcia is fol-lowing the footsteps of her parents

by attending college. “My dad has an engineering degree which he earned at a four year college in the Philippines and my mom also went to college in the Philippines for two years” said Garcia.

When asked how she feels about being far from home for college, Garcia said, “It’s scary because I feel like I won’t know where to go for the simple things. For example, where to get groceries or get a haircut. Even though it’s scary, it’s fun because I’ll get to discover new things.” Garcia’s goals for attend-ing UC Berkeley include being able to decide what career she wants for the future. When asked what types of people she wants to encounter at Berkeley, Garcia said, “I want to meet weird people. NorCal people are so different, so I want to meet people with new views.” When asked where she sees herself in the distant future, Garcia said, “I see myself with a job and maybe even in Med School.”

Bio at Berkely By Jacquelyne GarciaStaff Writer

Magnet student German Mon-tano will follow his inspirational older sister to University of Cali-fornia, Davis to study Animal Science this fall of 2015.

Montano originally planned to major in Microbiology but saw Davis’s respectable Animal Science department and decided to switch his major. “My sister is currently majoring in Animal Science,” said Montana, “when I went to visit I really got into the classes and programs she was taking. Now I want to go Davis and try those courses.”Montana credits his acceptance to his high SAT scores, Subject SAT, ACT, and AP exams. Hav-ing college classes and extracur-ricular activities such as tennis, robotics, and Latino Unidos helped in the process as well.Loyola University of Maryland was his first choice there was just not enough money being offered. Montana’s FAFSA package together with Davis’s offer cov-ers $30,000 of tuition per year. All he will need to pay is $3,000, which he plans to pay with loans and the help of his family.

Montana’s parents were elated to discover he will be going to a great college that is near home, but mainly relieved all their chil-dren will have or already have a college education. “They’re ex-cited to see me going to a UC,” said Montana.Davis’s future freshman feels “very prepared” by Poly high school’s help. “Ms. Bryan, Ms. Couchois and Ms. Warman were a big help because they talked to me about colleges many times and helped with my FAFSA ap-plication,” said Montana.Poly’s AP teachers were also a part of Montana’s success. He said they all encouraged him to take all AP level classes for his senior year and helped prepare for the AP exams. As ready as Montana is for university life, he still fears the possibility of taking the wrong classes, wasting his time and most of all, being home sick. “It’s not too far away, I’ll be in the same state, so it won’t be so bad,” said Montana.

Future Veterinarian Montano to study animal science at UC DavisBy Kate MartinezStaff Writer

Photo By Victor Garcia


[Carnegie page 1]

By Juan GarciaStaff Writer



CAmPUsThe Poly Optimist

Best of 2014-2015

The Poly Optimistmay 2015 polyhigh.org/opt.jsp6

California State Uni-versity, Channel IslandsAguilar JaquelineAmezcua JasminCuriel BethanieEscobar BiancaSlilva MalloryJimenez Crystal

California State Uni-versity, ChicoCeballos Anthony Capulin Jessica Chaverria Anna Clamor Kyel Meza Nair California State Uni-versity, Dominguez HillsKelley TraemonayGarcia Adriana Escobar BiancaAlvarez BrianCerna EmilyTiradoPaloma

California State Uni-versity, East BayContreras AlexisBautista Yehini Rivas Joselyn California State Uni-versity, Fullerton Melo Dulce Mendoza DanielPenado Joshua Valdez Abigail Mejia Ashley Gonzalez Emely Humboldt State Uni-versityCerna EmilyCovambias JessicaGarcia AdrianaTirado Paloma Amendariz Elizabeth Ceballos AnthonyCapulin JessicaClamor KyelContreras AlexisMarquez ArturoRamos Adrian Ponce Stephany

California State Uni-versity, Monterrey BayRamos AdrianJimenez Crystal

California State Univer-sity, Bakersfield Valles Maria

California State Uni-

versity, Long BeachLawenko Alyssa Joy Garcia Jocelyn

California State University,Los Angeles (CSULA) Aguilar Jacqueline Alvarez KimberlyKelley TraemonayRodriguez JesusCovambias JessicaSaloman JocelynAmaya JoseJimenez CrystalJacoba AlejandraGutierrez JetzanyPerez Amabel Rodriguez ElizabethMartinez AmparoMachuca Jenny Anguiano Duysvel Mendoza DanielTirado Paloma Alvarez Brian Capulin JessicaRuiz MariaMejia AshleyGuerrero JenniferDominguez JoseBautista YehiniCamacho ChristianAmezcua JasminAguila AthenaAmaya JoseVillegas GaibethRosales ClaudiaOliveros RodolfoAreyalo Steven Vela MelissaValles Maria California State Univer-sity, Northridge(CSUN)Adame JesusAgredano DianaAguila Athena Aguilar JacquelineAlejo NancyAleman IsabelAlmaraz Angelica Alvarez BrainAlvarez JesusAlvizar EzequielAmaya JoseAmezcua JasminAnguiano DuysvelArambula JoanaArevalo Steven Argueta AndreaArroyo JessicaAstorga Dora Bahena RobertoBanuelos DavidBarron Maria Bautista Yehini

Baylor KhialaCabrera EricCalderon Martha Calvillo Natalia Camacho Christian Cantabrana CeleneCapulin JessicaCardona JenniferCarrillo Alondra Castillo KarenCastro KevinCatalan-Perez FilibertoCeballos AnthonyCerna EmilyChacon Hector Chavez VirginiaChavez-Verduzco AaronChavez-Verduzco RicardoCienfuegos LaurenCole RuelCollaso CeliaContreras AlexisCorpeno KimberlyCorral AbelCovarrubias JessicaCuriel Bethanie De La Cruz BereniceDe La Torre CarlosDe Leon MargaritaDe Leon RudyDiaz EsmeraldaDiaz KathyDiaz ScottDinio Angelica RaeDuong KelvinDuran GerardoEsqueda RogelioEsquival MelissaEstrada JuanaFlores BiancaFlores BryanFlores CesarFlores JessicaFonseca ChantelFrias RigobertoFuentes RomeoGarcia AdrianaGarcia Jose Garcia JuanGarcia LuisGarcia MelissaGarcia SaraGarciaguirre LarryGonzalez Andrea Gonzalez Edith Gonzalez Emely Gonzalez Mayra Gonzalez Ensaldo DavidGuerra Crystal Guerra Daniela Guerrero JenniferGuevara Joseph Guevarra Jezerelle JhettGutierrez IsaacGutierrez Jetzany Gutierrez Jocelyn

Guetierrez-Cruz CarolinaGuzman Bryan Guzman EvanGuzman Giselle Guzman Aguado StefaniHartman Joshua Hawatmeh Nwairon Hernandez AranzaHernandez HernanHernandez TaniaHerrera EimyHolgado Linnette ClaireIra LanelleJacobo AlejandraJimenez CrystalJimenez EricJimenez LiduvinaKelley TraemonayKlossner MarkLawenko Alyssa JoyLee DawnLee RichardLopez MaribelLopez Vanessa Lopez Ramos AlejandraLozano Susana Luna AshleyMachuca JennyMarquez ArturoMartinez AmparoMartinez SanjuanaMartinez-Rivera Alejan-draMazariego AngelMedina Paola Medrano MadisonMelo DulceMendoza DanielMeza Jonathan Meza Nair Monroy MarilynMontiel DavidMontoya Karina Morales AlexandraMorales LazaroMoran Perez DianaMoreno DavidMoreno ErlenNguyen RandyNieves SarahOcampo ShellyOrduno KarlaOrtega CrisnoelOrtega JasminOrtiz SabrinaPadilla ErikaParedes KevenPayes EmilyPenado Joshua Perez AmabelPerez AmberlyPerez AshleyPerez AxelPerez Brenda Perez EdgarPerez Eduardo

Perez FranciscoPerez JessePerez JulietPerez KathiaPineda AnaiPonce SthephanyPosada Katherine Preciado ChristianQuezeda SantiagoQuinones CesarQuintanilla AnthonyQuintero LleanaRauda KellyRenteria JairyReyes Abel Reyes Lorenzo Reyes MarielleRivas Jonathan Rivera GustavoRocha Giselle Rodriguez AnaRodriguez ElizabethRodriguez GiselleRodriguez JesusRodriguez WendyRomero BryanRosales ClaudiaRuiz MariaRuiz RubySac CarlosSanchez AngelSanchez Anthony Sanchez Tiffany Santos AngelicaSantos Yetzyany Santy SherwinSepulveda CarinaSerrano-Casco PaolaSilva AdrianSilva MallorySoliz Gabriela Sosa Stacy Soto AmandaSoto SaraTapia Tiffany Terrazas Alexis Torres HazaelTran JimmyValdez Abigail Valles MariaVasquez Sabrina Vela-Diaz MelissaVelazquez AlejandroVenegas JesusVilla-Lopez GregorioVillapudua Emely Villegas Gaibeth Williams LenishaWilson Audrianna Gonzalez Andrea

California State Polytechnic Uni-versity, Cal Poly PomonaPenado Joshua

NEW NESTS NORTH, SOUTH


Valdez AbigailLee Dawn Gonzalez Emely Molina Allan

California State Uni-versity, San BernardinoDeLeon Margarita

Sacramento State Uni-versityContreras Alexis Ponce StephanyGonzalez Andrea

San Diego State Univer-sityAmezcua JasminLawenko Alyssa Joy DeLeon Margarita Lee DawnGarcia JuanRamos AdrianCeballos AnthonyGonzalez Andrea Cole Ruel Montano German

San Jose State Univer-sityGarcia AdrianaMeza NairRodriguez Giselle Garcia Jocelyn Rivera GustavoGuzman Stefani

San Francisco State UniversityAlvarez KimberlyArmendariz ElizabethAlejo Nancy Saloman JocelynLawenko Alyssa Garcia JocelynCole RuelClamor KyelCuriel BethaniePerez JulietBravo BetsieGarcia Jacqueline Garciaguirre LarryGonzalez EdithGonzalez EmelyGuevara JosephRuiz MariaGuerrero JenniferRivera GustavoRodriguez ElizabethBautista YehiniCalvillo NataliaRamos Adrian

Sonoma State Univer-sity

Gutierrez Isaac

University of Califor-nia, BerkeleySanchez Huri

University of Califor-nia, DavisMontoya KarinaAlmaraz AngelicaAves Mary JoyceCalvillo NataliaDeLeon Margarita Gabradilla Adrienne ElaineGarcia Urrutia JuanGutierrez HenrriGutierrez MiguelGuzman Aguado StefaniLee DawnMontano GermanMontoya KarinaPintor EmilyQuintero Ilena Rivera RosetteVasquez Sabrina

University of Califor-nia, IrvineCeballos Anthony Ramos Adrian Cole RuelDeLeon Margarita Pintor EmilyGonzalez EmelyGonzalez Andrea Morales Lazaro Valdez Abigail

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Valdez AbigailGuevarra JezerelleMiguel Gutierrez

University of Califor-nia, San Diego (UCSD) Amezcua JasminMorales Lazaro University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)Guerra Daniela Montoya KarinaMeza NairLee DawnAmezcua JasminRamos AdrianCeballos AnthonyMorales Lazaro University of Cali-fornia, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Dominguez JoseGuerra Daniela

DeLeon MargaritaAguila AthenaFlores BiancaMontoya KarinaGuzman Stefani Garcia SaraGonzalez AndreaRamos AdrianCeballos Anthony Nieves SarahMartinez AmparoCuriel Bethanie

University of Califor-nia, Merced Adame JesusAnguiano DuysvelArmendariz ElizabethCantabrana CeleneChavez Virginia Contreras OscarEsqueda RogelioEstrada JuanaFlores CesarFlores Moises Frias RigobertoGutierrez HenrriGuzman Giselle Hernandez Aranza Hernandez MarthaHernandez TaniaMartinez AmparoMedrano MadisonMontoya KarinaOrtiz AlexanderPadilla ErikaParedes KevenPerez Amabel Perez JulietPerez KathiaQuintanilla AnthonyQuintero LleanaRuiz MariaRuvalcaba HaideeSaloman JocelynTapia TiffanyVela-Diaz MelissaVeliz Jocelyn University of California, RiversideAlejo NancyGutierrez Henrri Martinez AmparoCole RuelMelo Dulce Valdez AbigailGonzalez EmelyGuerrero JenniferMeza NairDominguez JoseGonzalez Andrea Arizona State Lawenko Alyssa Joy

Bowdoin CollegeAlmonte Hannah

Boston University Contreras Alejandro Pintor Emily

Carnegie University Quinones Cesar

California Lutheran University Esqueda Jose

Dayton UniversityMontano German

Denver Colorado Uni-versityDela Rosa Maria

Dominican Unviersity Guerrero Jennifer Montoya Karina

EmorySanchez Huri

FordhamMontano German

Great Falls University Renteria Fernando

Hawaiin Pacific Univer-sity Contreras Alejandro

Johns Hopkins Univer-sity Contreras Alejandro Johnson & Wales Uni-versity Calvillo Natalia

Lewis UniversityRenteria Fernando

Marymount Manhattan Garcia Jocelyn

Massachusettes College of Liberal ArtsPayton Leah

Michigan State Univer-sityGuerrero Jennifer

Mount Saint Mary’s College Dinio AngelicaGonzalez EdithMontoya Karina

Vela Melissa Notre DameRamos Adrian

Northern Arizona Uni-versity Diaz Esmeralda

Pacific University, Or-egon Garcia Adriana

Pepperdine University Ramos Adrian

Plymouth State Univer-sity Payton Leah

Purdue Vuong Brandon

Sarah Lawrence Pintor Emily

Seton Hall University Contreras Alejandro Montano German

University of LaVerne Amezcua Jasmin DeLa Rosa Maria Garcia Adriana

University of Oregon Clamor Kyel

University of Pacific Renteria Fernando

University of Pennsylva-nia Contreras Oscar

University of Wisconsin-Madison Montoya Karina

Williams University Vuong Brandon

Washington College Montoya Karina

Yale Almonte Hannah

EAST AND WEST

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sPORTs8 The Poly Optimist

Best of 2014-2015

Beginnings and Endings

The Poly OptimistMay 2015 polyhigh.org/opt.jsp

ENTERTAINmENT9

Poly’s Keep Youth Doing Some-thing (KYDS) Program participated in the annual Spotlight on Success part of Take Action Leadership Cam-paign (Paramount) Coachella Style at West Los Angeles College.

Spotlight on Success gives students a chance to be in the spotlight.

Take Action Leadership Campaign has helped reduce violence, increase attendance, improve grades and graduation rates for middle and high school students.

Over 3,000 students from 41 LAUSD high schools, 8 San Diego high schools, and 24 middle schools students participated in this year’s event.

KYDS Program participates at Par-amount every year to keep students focused and show off their skills.

Every year, KYDS holds a talent show the beginning of February for

different performers, such as dancers, singer, DJs, and band members.

1st place winners receive a “Golden Ticket” to participate at Paramount.

This year’s event, there were 20 booths: “I AM” workshop, Fun booths, cyber patriot, and dance/sing-ing booth.

“Location was different” said KYDS program manager Josue Arias, “Spotlight to Success actually took the idea of “Mini Coachella” from me to get kids to attend the event.”

Poly’s Rock Band participated in the instrumental category and won 2nd place.

“We learned this song for two months,” said Rock Band coach Ernist Mancia “they were so nervous when they performed. I’m so proud of them improving from not placing at all last year, to earning 2nd place this year .”

Spotlight on Parrots at Paramount

Poly re-established the Black Student Union (BSU) club in February with the intent of having African American students express their ideas and perspectives. Club President Traemonay Kelley approached Poly Principal Ari Bennett as she felt that she was obligated to support the African American

students who attend Poly. Royce Stuckey sponsored the club.

“I’m not an outsider, I get along with everyone, but I feel like I’m different,” said Kelley, “I want to celebrate my race, and I want to be acknowledged.” BSU meets every Wednesday during lunch in room 29 and gathers to talk about stereotypical issues in the Sun Valley area.

“We talk about a lot of things such as how we feel when people say the ‘n’ word, or how we feel about being such a small group at Poly,” said Kel-

ley, “We also discuss whether or not we should send a small group of students to classrooms to try to talk about how we feel about the use of the ‘n’ word and other stereotypes.”

Currently, the club is still undergoing development and as of now the goal of the club is to prepare freshmen for next year as most of the members are seniors.

“It feels good to see other people and hear other people’s perspectives and views of ev-erything that’s going on,” said Kelley.

Black Student Union Rises


Walk The Moon "Talk-ing is Hard": “Shut up and Dance with Me” has been a sensation amongst radio stations and because of it the Ohio band’s second album has received much attention. This marks the bands sec-ond album following their self-titled one. As their first, “Talking is Hard” is full of dancy pop tunes with heavy electro synthesizers. The difference with this second album is that it seems to be more 80’s inspired. Even the bands video for “Shut up and Dance with Me” is set in the 80’s. The members of Walk the Moon successfully get listeners to dance with their throwback inspiration.

“Orange is the New Black”: Another Netflix original, “Orange is the New Black” has generated a wide fan base. Creator Jenji Kohan continues to make this show groundbreaking and interesting with characters that come from all walks of life. Piper Chapman (Tay-lor Schilling) faces a difficult life in prison for a one time crime she committed years ago. The writers deeply go into the lives of all the other characters making the show diverse and wide ranged. This show blends suspense, comedy and drama into 55 minutes. The show is on its third season and looking strong both from a viewers and critic’s perspective.

New Club Embraces Diversity

Alabama Shakes "Sound & Color": The sophomore album of this versatile band, has further advanced their musi-cal outreach and collective skill. The band has a clear soul and Americana influence, but with a modern twist. This album seems to experiment with more sounds and different influences than the first. More intricate string ar-rangements can be heard and As usual the lyrics are hard hitting, especially when being sang through lead singer Brittany Howard. Their first single released off the album “Don’t Wanna Fight no More” has received much attention on the airwaves. The album shows promise and experimentation, important qualities for a band to stay fresh.

Kendrick Lamar "To Pimp a Butterfly": Like his previous album “Good kid, m.A.A.d city” the most recent album is receiving much attention and praise. The album is vivid and descriptive, Lamar’s lyrics are severe and discuss important issues like racism. The album incorporates funky hooks and lots of jazz inspiration through heavy beats and piano. Through his years the young Compton rapper has been able to prove himself to his fellow artist, and listeners. Lamar and pro-ducers have succeeded in making a musically com-plex and honest album.

Sticking to What You Know

Shut Up and Dance with MeBy Emily Pintor Staff Writer

By Vanessa AquinoStaff Writer

Courtesy of Julisa Aldaba

Photo provided by Google


Pimping a ButterflyBy Emily Pintor Staff Writer

"Star Wars Episode VII": Though this film does not come out until mid-Decem-ber, it has been receiving plenty of buzz and atten-tion since its announcement of production. JJ Abrams and his team assembled to remake the widely beloved series. Emotions about the film are mixed, some are excited in hopes it will be just as stellar as the other ones, and others are disap-pointed the series would even get remade. Whether fans are excited or scared, it is almost for certain that "Star Wars Episode VII" will have a huge opening weekend.



By Emily Pintor Staff Writer

Shaking in Alabama

By Emily Pintor Staff Writer

In a Galaxy Far Far Away

Orange is the New BlackBy Emily Pintor Staff Writer


Parrots compete at studios.

Magnet senior Jacquelyne Garcia stayed true to her dream to perform, while still balancing her academic pursuits.

Garcia has been a dancer for four-teen years and a technical dancer during her last two years of dancing. She has danced hip-hop, ballet, jazz and tap.

An obstacle Garcia had to overcome

was joining technical dancing late. Dancers usually start at a young age, but Garcia started at the age of 15 which held her back.

“I first performed as a dancer when I was four years old,” said Garcia “I then realized how fun dancing is and began to love performing in front of crowds.”

Garcia balances her dancing life with school.

Garcia has taken seven AP courses since freshman year and also been part of the magnet program since freshman year.

Garcia’s summers are also busy. She has taken four college courses during summer session at Los Angeles Valley College and Poly High School: Italian, Political Science 1 and 5, and Sociol-ogy.

“My daily schedule consists of attending school at normal hours, fol-lowed by a daily three hour practice with my Drill team,” said Garcia, “fol-lowed by a two hour dance schedule.”

Garcia usually goes to practice four times a week; 2 or 3 hours a day except Saturdays, which are 5 hours. When there are drill competitions, she does not go to dance practices.

Throughout her four years at Poly, Garcia has been involved in Magnet council, The Eco Club and French Lit-erature Seminar ran by Magnet English teacher, Mischa Martin.

“However for me, it’s become sec-ond nature, especially because I’ve been like this my entire life” said Garcia, “An empty schedule is just not normal to me.”

Garcia also switches her roles from student and dancer to volunteer.

“I’ve done volunteer work at an Ani-mal shelter called ‘Bestfriends Animals Society’ where I learned how to take care of baby kittens and adult dogs,” said Garcia. “I’ve also done volunteer work at Elementary schools where I had to do office work.”

Before Garcia joined Poly, she was a former Drill Captain in Byrd Middle School, challenging herself to try out for a Captain position in Poly Drill.

Garcia has been Captain of the Poly Drill team for three years; co-captain during sophomore and junior year, captain senior year.

“Being Captain is tough because the team’s reputation is in your hands,” said Garcia. “However, I’ve learned how to prioritize Drill and dedicate myself to my team.”

During Garcia’s last year at Poly, she has helped lead the Drill Team to First Place at the SHARP International Competition. She also helped establish next year’s team before saying her final goodbye to Poly Drill.

Garcia will be attending San Francisco State University, Majoring in Microbiology.

“Ever since I took AP Biology in 10th grade, I fell in love with the study of virology, the study of viruses, and how it affects human beings,” said Garcia.

Garcia plans to seek internships that involve working in lab research, “I’ll love to study abroad,” said Garcia “My three top choices are London, Spain ,been there and I love it, and Rome.”

“I want to be able to picture myself working in a lab at a prestigious institu-tion studying viruses,” said Garcia “while also allowing me to have a well-paying job that can lead to a successful life.”

When the Optimist asked Garcia how her family supported her through-out her years in high school and accep-tance into SFSU she said, “My parents have definitely supported me to have whatever lifestyle I wanted to have. My twin sister and girlfriend have been my number one fans since day one.”

10The Poly Optimist May 2015

TECHNOLOGYThe Poly Optimistpolyhigh.org/opt.jsp

CAmPUs

By Vanessa AquinoStaff Writer

Alumni Andy Flores, English teacher here at Poly, uses his experi-ence as a way to help students reach their full potential at Polytechnic High School.

“Essentially, I am in a class with another teacher and help accom-modate students that need either things broken down a little further or to clarify certain ideas or certain content,” said Flores.

Flores graduated from Poly in 2005. As a Poly student, Flores wasn't necessarily the most diligent student and it wasn't until the middle of tenth grade where he decided to turn his academic life around.

“I always heard that I had poten-tial but I just never really did the work,” said Flores, “I had a history teacher, he was teaching both an AP and a regular class. I asked if I could go into his AP class but because I didn't have the grades he told me I couldn't handle it. The next semester I started doing my work. After that I turned it around and did well.”

Flores was a substitute teacher in Glendale for two years and worked in after school programs including the Youth Policy Institute, a program that aims to reduce poverty by giving families access to quality education.

“I graduated from CSUN with my bachelors and took two years off to see if teaching was something I really wanted to do,” said Flores, “After that was when I decided to become a teacher so I went back to CSUN and I got my credential and my M.Ed.”

“I believe that you need to hear everything twenty times in order for you to really understand something,” said Flores, “I like to think I'm adding on to the number, that I'm number thirteen and hopefully the next one will get to them.”

One of the most frustrating aspects about his job is “having to deal with the students who have the ability but don't do the work and don't try to succeed,” as he feels it is his obligation to help students turn it around.

“The most important thing is to not give up, but also to try to go out and ask for help even if it's not from me. If you're not sure about some-thing, ask. If you want to do some-thing, ask. If you think you're good for a scholarship, ask. Ultimately the worst thing they can say is no.”

Past Alumni Present Teacher

Stays True to Her Dream Jacquelyne Garcia Steps Up

Dancer Jocelyn Garcia continues her professional dancing career at Cali-fornia State University (CSU), Long Beach in their dance department.

Garcia was accepted to CSU Long Beach for her academics but was required to audition for a spot in CSU Long beach’s dance department in March. “I chose a dance major because frankly I can’t imagine myself not dancing,” said Garcia.

She attended UCLA’s dance program in 2013 for modern dance and hip hop with the UCLA WACD (world arts culture and dance) department. Garcia attended with a full scholarship for the program. At the end of the program she performed in a full production.

Garcia’s 2014 Summer was at Jof-fery ballet school of New York in LA to refine her ballet skills. “I’ve never danced so intensily for so long.”

Garcia was conflicted in her choice between Long Beach State and Mary-mount Manhattan College in New York. After weeks of self-reflection, Garcia accepted admission to CSU Long Beach at the end of April 2015, informing the dance department spe-cifically. “Choosing Long Beach was the hardest choice ever!” said Garcia.

Garcia will be dancing while having $20,000/year of her tuition covered by Long Beach State. “I am an Andres and Maria Cardenas scholarship recipient which also helps with tuition” said Garcia.

Garcia’s academics in Poly’s Magnet helped her achieve her scholarship. “all of my peers and teachers truly forced me to work for all the good reasons.”

This confident dancer is excited for college life, but fears succumbing to an irresponsible life style. “But I highly doubt that would happen because I’m pretty on top of myself and will make the right decisions.”

Choosing a Dance MajorJocelyn Garcia Dances for CSU Long Beach

Photo provided by Garcia

By Kate Martinez Staff Writer

to do his best. “My biggest influence was my family and my church,” said Sanchez, “we’ll all be happy when I get into a high position.”

Despite their excitement Sanchez’s parents are concerned that he will be going to Georgia alone, but nonethe-less they are happy he will be attending a good school.

Quest Bridge was also a big part of his admission to Emory. Sanchez said he discovered Quest Bridge during his junior year and it guided him in the process. Regrettably Sanchez had dropped a scholarship with Quest Bridge that takes in low income bright students.

Money is no longer a problem for Sanchez, Emory and his FAFSA pack-age will cover all of his $60,000 tuition per year for four years.

His exceptional academics, extra-curricular, and volunteer work with his church were the highlights of his acceptance. And with that he believed his chances of getting accepted to Emory were strong even against tough competitors.

12th grade AP math teacher Monica Casillas said, “It was an honor hav-ing Huri as a student, he’s very well rounded. Work comes first for him but there was also time for play and humor. I expect great things from him regardless of where he goes.”

“When I went online to look up Emory and saw the distinguished graduates, I thought Huri will also make that long line of distinguished alumni,” said Casillas.

Sanchez fears the transition from a high school academic level to a college level, and the slight chance of

failing academically. He understands the courses will be “way harder and tougher than high school.”

“I’ll just have to have good time management and study habits to do well in college,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez thinks his biggest challenge will be “starting from the bottom,” socially acquainting himself with new classmates.

This Emory student says “Poly [prepared] me [with] almost every-thing.” He thanks Poly for preparing and making him realizing “the future is a college education and that’s the key to success.”

“Some people will think that they can’t go to college because they can’t afford it but it’s not true, there are people that want to help you, “said Sanchez, “It’s not easy but it’s not impossible.”

[Emory page 1]

Poly Alumni and Human Resourc-es Specialist for the US Army Ester Garcia made a surprise visit to Poly for a reunion with her brother Felix Garcia and her family with the help of Freshman Math Teacher Shaun King on May 19th.

“At the start of second period, she went to Felix’s classroom and walked up to Felix and startled the heck out of him because they’re really close and hadn’t seen each other for a while. She pulled Felix out of class to go surprise her family,” said King.

Garcia is a Poly graduate and graduated in 2009.

“She was a cheerleader, was in-volved in soccer and volleyball. With the athletic department here at Poly is how I met Ester,” said King.

Garcia attended Cal State Universi-ty, Northridge for a year and decided to join the military afterwards.

“I was there for a year and I felt like I would be good at the army so I joined,” said Garcia.

Being the first in her family to join the Military, Garcia had trouble leav-ing home as she knew that her option of being able to visit her family or call them would be taken away.

She has been in the Military for four and a half years and works as a Human Resources Spe-

cialist for the US Army, in charge of personnel records.

When talking about her deploy-ment to Cuba, Garcia stated, “It was great, it was very different because we got to work with all the other branches so it wasn't just the army. We worked with the navy, coast guard, air-force, and marines.”

King had kept in touch with Garcia throughout the entire time she was in Cuba and was the only person to be told that she would be coming back. King and Garcia planned to surprise her brother; however, her trip back to Poly was delayed, so King had to re-organize their plan for May 19th.

Garcia has been going to Cuesta College and is now preparing to at-tend Cal Poly Luis Obispo.

“For her it has been a great experi-ence. It was a very touchy moment and it brought a lot of tears to us when she made the surprise visit,” said King.

Big Sister in Marines Surprises Freshman Brother upon Returning HomeAlumni military specialist talks to freshmen about career choice.By Vanessa Aquino & Bryan RochaStaff Writers

Brother Sister back togetherPhoto By Victor Garcia

Never give upBy Vanessa Aquino & Bryan RochaStaff Writers


Photo Provided By year bookFlores 2005



SPORTS 2014-201511


sPORTs12

By Bryan RochaPoly’s Varsity Track and

Field Coach Mario Rivera will be retiring after 20 years of coaching.

“We all worked re-ally hard,” said Rivera, “It brought me and my team to tears but it’s time for me to move on with my life.”

“They’re worried since it is their last year and depending on their perfor-mance our journey could end on Thursday,” said Rivera.

The Girls league ended with a 6-1 score and the Boys league ended with a 4-2 score.

“We wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for all of our mem-bers’ efforts,” said Rivera.

Girls Varsity Softball won 16 games, lost 9, and tied for 1. Senior and Captain Desiree Ibarra, who played first base shares her experience about the season. “It has been fun,

the program has really grown since I first joined, and we made history by winning our first ever division 1 playoff game,” said Ibarra. When the Optimist asked Ibarra what her favorite moment of softball was, she said, “Mak-

ing varsity as a freshman and hitting the winning run at our playoff game was definitely my favorite experience.” Ibarra will attend CSUN in the fall of 2015 and will try out for the Matador softball team.

Tennis Co-Captain Karen Cas-tillo will attend California State University Northridge this fall and major in Sociology and mi-nor in Communications. Castillo is planning on joining the tennis team at CSUN. When explaining her time here at Poly she shared, “the best experience I would say is when I became co-captain and lead our team to quarterfinals. It had been a long time since tennis had made it farther than play-offs.”

Parrot Boys Varsity Basketball ended the 2015 season as league champions with a 11-1 streak. Captain Jose Esqueda will attend Valley College this fall and then transfer to Cal Lutheran Univer-sity to study Computer Science. “It was hell of a ride,” shared Esqueda.

Polytechnic High’s Boys Varsity Baseball finish in first place in the league and ended with an 11-1 score.

Baseball Pitchers Isaac Gutierrez and Mike Galindo had been playing together since they were 6 years old. Gutierrez and Galindo both joined the team in 9th grade; however, this was their first year they played together. “Playing baseball is fun,” said Gutierrez, “there was a lot of competition.”

SoftballBoysBasketball

Baseball

Tennis

By Jocelyn Garcia & Michael ManzanoStaff Writer

By Jocelyn GarciaStaff Writer


Senior Sports Profile


Nothing But Net

Poly’s Girls’ Varsity Shooting Guard Isabelle Lopez will be attending San Diego State University this fall to major in nursing.

“Leaving Poly is going to be a hard transition,” said Lopez, “basketball was probably the best part of my high school years.”

The toughest part of her career occurred when she injured herself during senior year.

“Getting injured during my senior year and com-ing back was the biggest challenge I faced.”

Lopez believes that her friend, Monica Perla, had a big influence on her career and felt that they worked well with each other.

When reflecting on her junior year, Lopez said, “It was my best shooting year. I took three AP Chemistry, English and Calculus in my junior year. It was hard to balance my academic schedule with my athletic career.”

“Enjoy your senior year, it goes by really fast,” said Lopez, “Also, don’t get injured!”


Poly’s Girls’ Varsity Basketball Point Guard Monica Perla was deemed as female athlete of the year on May 21, 2015 during the senior awards night.

“Being part of the girls basketball team was definitely a learning experience,” said Perla.

Perla joined the team in her freshman year, however, at the time she was a bench-warmer.

“10th grade year, that’s when I actually started playing,” said Perla, “I was a bench-warmer before. I was a bit nervous when I started playing for the team.”

Perla had some difficulty managing her schedule for her sport career and her aca-demic career as she took AP classes.

When talking about her award for being the female athlete of the year, Perla said, ““I was shocked, and happy. I didn’t really expect myself to get this far.”

She will be leaving to San Diego to at-tend Point Loma Nazarene University and major in education.

Girls BasketballAthlete of the Year


Track and Field

By Bryan Rocha & Michael ManzanoStaff Writer

They hit their home run.

Female athlete of the year

Photos provided Yenny

Desiree Ibarra First Basemen

Track running for their goal.

Match point Cross-country

Photo provided by Principal Bennett



Photos By Victor Garcia

Photo By Vanessa AquinoPhoto By Vanessa Aquino

Photo by Victor Garcia

Run, Jump, Run

East Valley League Champions

Documents

Poly Optimist - May